I've Always Belonged To You
by littlebird14
Summary: Ric and Jo are dead and Caroline is pregnant with their twins. Feeling completely alone, she leaves her Mystic Falls life behind. Who knew this could be exactly what she needed to feel safe? Rated M for Chapter 7
1. Chapter 1

**Hi my loves! I hope you all enjoy reading this story, especially since I enjoyed writing. Totally off point, season 5 of The Originals...WOW! Episode 6 was amazing! If you haven't yet watched it, you so should!**

 **In this story, Alaric died trying to save his new wife. There are no paternal parents for the twins.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely zero of the characters, the locations, or such. That belongs to the wonderful Julie Plec.**

 **~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~~TVD/TO~**

Driving down the interstate, Caroline's hand subconsciously migrates down to rest on her soon-to-be growing stomach. Her mind reeling in the fact that she's actually pregnant. She had given up on every hope of becoming a mother when she found out she was a vampire. "Infertile," they had told her. But magically, there were now two little babies growing inside her.

So much had happened recently, adding this as a supernatural cherry on top of a pile of drama. Her mom had died, Elena was put into a Sleeping Beauty-type coma, Bonnie and Enzo went romping off Europe with Damon trying to cope, Stefan ran off with Valerie to rekindle their old flame, Tyler was off to God knows where and Matt wanted absolutely nothing to do with vampires anymore. Feeling utterly alone, she packed her SUV and left with a sad good-bye to her hometown.

Stopping for gas in a small town, Caroline gets out of the car and rests her hands on the door as the gas pumps, letting her head droop down to the ground. She kept thinking she was insane for doing this trip. The closer she got to her destination, the more her soul pulled her back to Mystic Falls. Never had she traveled so far alone. Her and Enzo had gone to Atlanta to find Stefan's doppelganger, but she was about an hour passed Georgia now.

The gas pump clicks off, breaking her train of thought and she gets back in the car, hopping on the ramp connecting with the highway once again. Driving through Mississippi was incredibly boring but once she gets on the I-10 Twin Span Bridge, her heart jumps. She's officially in Louisiana and following her GPS to Frenchman Street, she gets incredibly lucky by finding a parking spot just as someone was pulling out. Stepping out of the car, she slings her cross-body purse over her shoulder and locks her vehicle.

Having no idea where to start, she just walks the streets. Making it over to Royal Street, she looks at all the artists lined up against the fences and listens to the music, finding comfort in it all. Her stomach growls so she locates a small restaurant and takes a small table to herself, ordering a bowl of gumbo. When in NOLA, right?

Halfway through her meal, she gets the feeling of eyes on her. Turning her phone camera on selfie mode, she looks behind her discretely and notices a man watching her, he's young and attractive but obviously gay. Paying him no further attention, she pays for her meal and thanks the waitress. Leaving the restaurant, she feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, indicating he was following her so heading down an alleyway, she vamps over to him, grabbing him by his shoulders.

Pushing him up against the building, she bares her fangs at him. "Why are you following me?"

"We know every daywalker in New Orleans and when one shows up out of the blue, Marcel wants me to tail them," answers the guy. "Not many realize that I'm following them though and confront me."

"Well, I'm not your typical vampire," she says, letting him go. "Caroline," she offers while extending her hand.

"Josh," he responds. "So, just so I can say I did my due diligence, what are you doing here?"

Feeling nervous, she treads carefully, "I'm just looking for someone. Who's Marcel?"

"He runs this town."

Confused, she says, "I thought the Mikaelsons ran New Orleans."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "You know the Mikaelsons?"

"I know of them. I was almost too afraid to come here," she prays silently that Josh can't hear her heart beat at the lie. Although, thankfully, it didn't skip at all. Was she really lying? Or was she actually scared to be here?

Believing her, he nods and adds, "If you need to find someone, come with me. Marcel's lived here his whole life and knows everyone. I'm sure he can help you find who you're looking for."

Wanting to get a feel of who this Marcel guy was and feeling confident in her trainings with Stefan and Elena, she nodded. "Okay, sounds good."

Josh leads her to an industrial loft across the river, sliding the metal door to the side, they walk inside. A suave, regal man walked out of the room on the left with a phone to his ear. "Well, this is a good way to get some intel," he was telling someone on the phone. Caroline determined this was man Josh was talking about, Marcel. He waves to Josh before talking again. "You seem to forget that if you die, I die Klaus, including all my men. I'm not letting that happen. You're going to need all the help you can get right now." Caroline's breathing stopped for a second. He was talking to the Big Bad Hybrid. "Whatever…see in an hour," and at that Marcel's attention was officially on her. "Sorry about that. Marcel Gerard," he extended his hand to her.

"Caroline Forbes," she put on her best Miss Mystic smile.

His eyes grew as she shook his hand. "You're pregnant? How is that possible?"

Josh's eyes grew too, for he must not have noticed until now. But she calmly said, "That's one really long, witchy story. One that I don't feel comfortable telling anyone just yet."

"Do not worry. You're safe in my town. Kids and moms are the utmost priority to me." When he spoke, she somehow trusted him.

"She says she's here looking for someone," spoke up Josh, as he took a seat on the sofa.

Marcel looks at her in question, but Caroline didn't want to say who she was looking for until she knew more about him. "Actually, I think I know where to look. But if I find it more difficult than I perceived, I will let you know if I need more assistance." His eyes grew suspicious, so she added quickly, "When we were heading this direction, I got a feel of the city a little bit. I should know my way around now. It was a pleasure meeting you and thank you."

Caroline was halfway out of the room when Marcel vamps over to stand right in front of her with a menacing look on his face. "You're not being entirely truthful," he says, grabbing her shoulders. It wasn't hurtful, just rough. It was a sense that perhaps he was trying to get a feel of her. "I can help you." She got the hint that things were stirring in the city that she wasn't aware of and he just did want to help.

Suddenly, there is a whoosh of air past her, blowing her hair in front of her face. Blinking, she sees Marcel thrown up against the wall, toes barely touching the ground and a very angry hybrid holding him in place. "Don't touch her again," Klaus growled.

Marcel looked at him, looked at Caroline and then smirked. "I knew there was something up with you. You were acting too secretive."

Klaus' hand squeezed harder until Caroline grabbed Klaus' jacket and used all her strength to pull him off Marcel. "Klaus, he wasn't going to hurt me. You need to chill out." He stumbled backwards as Marcel fell to his left knee, rubbing his throat.

"So, you two know each other." This wasn't a question, Marcel knew.

"Yes, I wasn't sure how you would respond to me looking for Klaus Mikaelson. Most people don't react well," she said, glaring at Klaus.

"I don't know why not. I'm a joy," grinned Klaus. "What are you doing here, Caroline? Not that I'm in any way disappointed, Love."

"She's pregnant," answered Josh, who up until this moment had remained silent in the corner.

Klaus' eyes glued to her stomach to listen intently as Caroline put a protective hand on her stomach, it burning under his intense stare. "How?"

"It's a long story," she started. And then forgetting that Marcel and Josh were there, she told Klaus everything. About Kai, the Gemini Coven, Jo and Ric's wedding and lastly, about the magical spell used as one last desperate attempt to save the coven's remaining witches.

"And where is the Rippah in this story?" asked Klaus. All he wanted to do was wrap an arm around her shoulders and comfort her. That, or locate each one of her friends and kill them slowly and painfully for leaving her alone.

"He left…with one of the Heretics Kai released from the prison realm. That's another long story." She suddenly felt tired, so she looked around and took a seat on the empty couch. "I had nothing left for me in Mystic Falls. I can't do this alone, Klaus." She wasn't looking at him anymore; instead, her hands had suddenly become very interesting.

Marcel handed her a glass of water which she accepted and thanked him with a slight smile. Finally catching the hybrid's eyes, she sees only admiration and caring in them – something that had been missing from her friends. "You are more than welcome to stay with me," offered Marcel, noticing the silence between the two.

"That won't be necessary Marcellus," Klaus said, not bothering to look at his young protégé. "Come Caroline, I'll have someone gather your things and park your car in our garage." At that, he turned and left.

Caroline looks back at Marcel, knowing there was more to this acquaintanceship than they were letting on. "Thank you...and I am sorry for not telling you the full truth right way."

He regarded her sympathetically, "It's alright. It's one hell of a story." She handed the empty water glass to him and he added, "If you ever need anything, Klaus has my number and Josh's."


	2. Chapter 2

**It's me again! Thank you all for reading Chapter 1- I can't thank you enough. I know these are shorter chapters but hopefully that just leads up to more excitement...**

 **Also, thanks sooooo much for the kind reviews! I love reading those!**

 **Season 5, episode 7 of TO = wow! The emotions were running high and still are!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely zero of the characters, the locations, or such. That belongs to the wonderful Julie Plec.**

 **~TVD/TO~~Klaroline~~TVD/TO~~Klaroline~~TVD/TO~~Klaroline~~TVD/TO~**

Caroline grinned leaving Marcel's and then followed Klaus out of the loft. He was waiting for her at the bottom already. "I realized I ran here. I called a car to come collect us," was all he said.

"No need. Just try to keep up," and she took off back across the river. Just as she reached the French Quarter, she is picked up; a strong arm under her knees and the other protectively around her waist. After moving at vampire speed to suddenly moving at hybrid speed, she gasps as the wind whips past her faster than ever before and she wraps her arms around his neck.

Coming to a sudden stop, she wiggles out of his arms to look around at the rot iron balconies and her eyes land on the Mikaelson Crest on the door, finding solace in the familiar. That's when the nausea hits her, and she makes a detour to an alley, emptying her stomach into a trash can. Klaus follows her, holding her hair back. This notion made her swoon while at the same time, making her want to die in embarrassment. Holding out a small square of fabric with his left hand, his right never leaves her back. "Thank you," she says, wiping her mouth. "I'm sorry. This is disgusting."

"The fault is mine. I just assumed..."

"The speed was fine while we were moving; it was when we stopped that it became the problem. Really, I was having fun." She didn't want to scare him off with all this pregnancy stuff, she needed him more than she was willing to admit. Klaus Mikaelson had always been a crutch for her. There was something freeing in the knowledge that a thousand-year-old hybrid – the most powerful creature on the planet – wanted her and would be willing to wait for her.

As if reading her mind, he said, "When Hayley was carrying Hope, the sickness didn't last long. We had about a month where we could only move at human pace with her too. Maybe you will have the same luck."

Mentally slapping herself, she remembers that Klaus already has a kid, he's been through all of this already. "Human pace, uggh, that sounds awful!" This got a small laugh out of him as she followed him inside the Mikaelson Compound. "Wow, this is very lavish."

"Did you expect different?"

His smirk was infectious, she had almost forgotten how much she enjoyed his company. "You are a dad now, so you never know. Maybe you've calmed down."

"Never." They stood awkwardly until Klaus cleared his throat and gestured for her to follow him. Leading her to the southwest corner of the property, he opens the door to a room that obviously hadn't been used lately. "You can stay here. I'll have someone clean it before tomorrow night for you. Get you fresh bedding." She walked in the room, taking it all in and shaking her head. "You don't like it?"

"I love it. You're being incredibly generous. Honestly, at this point, I would sleep on the couch if that meant not being alone."

"You're not sleeping on the couch," he said almost immediately, frowning.

Smiling, she explained further, "I was shaking my head because I can clean it. It's fine. There is no need to spend extra money on me. Especially for something I can do myself." Shrugging her shoulders, "Besides, cleaning helps me think."

"Money is no object."

"Oh, I know. I just don't want you to think..." she trailed off.

"Think what?" He pushed.

"I don't want you to think that's the reason I'm here," she hung her head to hide her face.

Nearing her, Klaus lifts her chin up and looks at her seriously. "Caroline, I do not care, nor will I ask the reason why you came to me; whether you wanted help, you were scared, or you needed financial support, none of that matters. The only thing I care about is that you're here, Love."

Tears were forming in her eyes and falling down her cheeks in relief. He wiped his thumb over them and all she could say was, "Thank you, Klaus. There are no words that I can possibly use to express how thankful I am right now."

Suddenly more exhausted than she was at Marcel's, she backed away from him and yawned into her right elbow. Running a hand over her left arm, her skin burning through her shirt, Klaus tells her, "You can rest tonight in my room. I have some errands to run so I will not be needing it tonight anyways."

She was taken upstairs before he took his leave quickly, leaving her alone once again. She laid on the bed, curling up with a pillow that had Klaus' scent on it and fell asleep immediately, feeling utterly safe and protected for the first time in a long time.

Finishing his tasks earlier than expected, Klaus returned around midnight and carefully walked into his room, afraid that it was all just a dream or an illusion, afraid she would be gone. Instead, he found his blonde vampire asleep with a pillow in her arms and was laying on the left side of the bed – his side. Smiling, he covered her up with the blanket that was at her feet before laying on the couch he had against the wall.

Waking up the next morning, Caroline felt the sun on her face before opening her eyes. She could see the light streaming into the window as the wind softly blew the sheer curtain in and out. Stretching out on the bed, she notices a blanket entangled in her legs; one that wasn't there when she went to sleep. Sitting up, she looks around at Klaus' room before laying eyes on the hybrid himself, asleep on the same couch he refused to let her sleep on. As he laid on his back, his arm was under his head like a pillow while the other was draped over his stomach. His eyes were closed and his breathing even.

She didn't stay in bed long because she felt her stomach growl intensely. Not knowing where the kitchen was or even if Klaus had told his family about her staying, she decided to attempt to find somewhere open for breakfast. Getting up quietly, she makes her way to the bathroom on the other side of the room. Staring at her appearance in the mirror, her hair still looked good luckily, just needed to brush through it. It was her make-up that was the problem, smeared and faded. Washing her face clean, she takes one more look and leaves the bathroom, muttering to herself, "It's as good as it's going to get." Locating her purse on the end of the bed, she finds a comb and works on getting all the tangles out of her long hair.

The growling in her stomach didn't go away, instead it only intensified. What scared her was that this wasn't a normal hunger. It was a feeling she could only compare to what being freshly turned felt like. She needed blood, and she needed it now. Dropping the comb to the floor and kneeling next to the bed, she tried calming her breathing, but her fangs popped out on their own anyways. Unable to handle the unusually strong blood lust anymore, she shrieks, "Klaus!"

He sits up in a flash, looks around for her and rushes to her side on the floor. "What's wrong?"

Lifting her head up, he finds her vampire features staring back at him. "Blood," she spits out painfully. "I…can't…control…it."

He almost tells her to hit the streets and drain the first poor soul that comes up to her, but he knows her; she would feel guilty about it immediately. So instead, he lifted his sleeve quickly and pushed it front of her. "Drink." She looks at him confused and shakes her head. But her eyes never leave the vein in his wrist. Losing his patience, he rips into his arm with his teeth and pushes the fresh blood back in her face. Unable to control it any more, all inhabitations leave her, and she sinks her fangs into his already healing skin, craving that metallic taste.

Drinking for about two minutes, she finally let's go. Breathing heavy, she feels her vampire face disappear. "Klaus...?"

"Yes, Love?"

"I'm scared." This was a huge thing for her to admit to him. "What's happening to me?"


	3. Chapter 3

**We're really getting into the storyline now, sweethearts! I did kind of keep part of the original storyline regarding Caroline's magical pregnancy, just kind of intensified it by 100.**

 **There's also a part of this that might seem juvenile but there is a reasoning behind it, I promise, it will make more sense later why I included it.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading chapter 3! Good bye for now loves!**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely zero of the characters, the locations, or such. That belongs to the wonderful Julie Plec.**

 ***K &C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C*K&C***

 _"I'm scared. What's happening to me?"_

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out." He helped her to her feet before looking at the clock on the wall behind her. "Come. Freya might have an idea of what's happening. She should have arrived already this morning." She nodded and followed him down the stairs where, sure enough, all the Original family was sitting around the table – Hayley included. She had never seen them all in one place since the Mikaelson Ball and she unconsciously shrunk behind Klaus. "Freya," he said. A girl with light brown hair in her early twenties looked up. "I need you to do a spell. Just now, Caroline was overcome with severe blood lust, unable to control it. We need to find out why."

"How do we know that she's just not a vampire who has no ability to show restraint for her cravings?"

 _Spoken like a true Mikaelson_ , thought Caroline, after Freya voiced her paranoia.

"There's not a vampire on this Earth that has as much control as she does," said Klaus, proudly. Caroline smiled just slightly. "I explained the circumstances that you would be staying here, Caroline. We're all here to help," he explained to her, looking pointedly at Freya.

"Fine, come with me," she waved her hand at Caroline to join her. Klaus moved to go with but she put a hand up. "No, just us. Trust me, Brother."

He glared at her until Caroline said, "It's okay Klaus." He nodded and let them go.

Following her down the hall, Freya led her into what she assumed was her bedroom. However, she muttered something along the lines of, "Kol should have everything we need here," which made Caroline believe that perhaps, Freya doesn't live with her siblings; otherwise, she wouldn't need to borrow items from the youngest Mikaelson. Silently, she waited while Freya laid stones on the ground in a circle. "Stand in the center, please." Doing as she was told, before Freya put one last stone on the ground and it created a barrier of some kind around her. The magical energy was bouncing off her skin as Freya chanted; something she was used to seeing Bonnie do. Freya's head falls forward as she chants louder and louder making the air swirl around Caroline faster and faster.

All of the sudden, it stops. Freya looks up at Caroline with sad eyes. "We should go back." She bends down to pick up the stones.

"Please tell me." Freya didn't say anything. Trying again, Caroline pleads, "I know you don't know me but maybe once you do -"

"It's not that I don't know you." Caroline stared at her with her yeah-right stare. "Okay, that might be it a little bit. But this is just something that I think everyone needs to hear."

Walking back into the sitting room, Caroline and Freya find Klaus pacing. Once he sees Caroline, he takes two giant strides across the room to her side, his hand landing on her sleeve covered arm. "Well?" he asked Freya.

"The babies she's carrying are siphon witches." This meant more to Caroline than to the others. Feeling overwhelmed, she leaned into Klaus' embrace and he protectively put his arm around her shoulder. This gesture was something every single one of his siblings noticed but didn't comment on. "Because of this, they are siphoning the magic from Caroline's vampirism. They are still small enough but eventually, they will take all her magic."

"But without it, she'll die," spoke up Elijah.

"Yes, and depending on how you died, it might be quickly," added Freya with a frown on her face.

"I was smothered with a pillow by Katherine. Asphyxiation." Klaus' hand tightened on her shoulder as Elijah looked down in disappointment to hear about his former lover's actions.

"At least you have that in your favor, you'll have a warning," offered Freya. "You'll have time."

"Is there anything we can do?" asked Klaus.

Freya sat down at the table and thought about it, but it was Hayley that answered, "What if we trick the babies like we tricked Dahlia?" Everyone looked at her confused, so she elaborated. "When she was looking for Hope, you created a golem with her magic. What if we just infuse something with magic to make them drain from that instead?"

Thinking about this, Freya finally said, "I might be able to do that but once the magic of the golem is gone, it's gone. It would need it to be a continuous source of magic."

The Original family was silent until Klaus suggested, "The werewolf rings were a link to me to drain my magic. Use the same concept."

Freya's eyebrows rose, "I could definitely do that. I could create a stone that allows the babies to pull the magic from that instead of Caroline. Just needs to be stronger than her magic."

"There's nothing stronger than an Original Hybrid. Use me," said Klaus. He didn't hesitate to offer and wasn't backing down, they all could see it in his face that he was determined.

"Klaus, no," whispered Caroline. "I can't let you do that. Who knows how strong these babies will be in the future. You can't be drained of all your magic."

Klaus stared at her, ready to fight her, to insist that she accept his help. Instead, Rebekah stands up, "Then link all of us. Instead of the babies taking all it from Nik, then it will be split between the three of us."

Caroline opens her mouth to object, but Elijah agrees, "Rebekah is right."

Caroline asked them why they were willing to do that for her and the answer she received was simple. "Klaus cares about you," answered Freya, who remained standing next to the table but had a small smile on her face.

Caroline had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you…all of you." She wipes her face and adds, "Damn hormones, that's the second time in twenty-four hours that I've cried. I swear, I'm not usually like this." They all laugh with her as Klaus rubs her back as Hayley gave her motherly advice saying it would get better.

Elijah stands and indicates for his siblings to follow him. "Niklaus, we'll be leaving. You'll join us later today as planned?" Klaus nods to his brother and they all leave.

Taking Klaus' hand, she drags him to a seat. "I need to tell you why I'm here, Klaus."

"We discussed this already, Caroline." He tried getting up but her hand on his arm stopped him.

"I know. But you deserve to know." Taking a deep breath, she starts, "When I found out about this, my mind went dark. I couldn't be pregnant, and I didn't want to be. In all reality, I'm only twenty-years-old and I wasn't ready for it. But then I heard their heartbeats and...god this is so hard to understand...but I was hooked. I loved them, with all my heart. I know they aren't mine but I'm all they have left. Even though I knew I wanted to care for them as if they were mine, I was terrified. My heart pounded through my chest when I thought about doing this alone. Ric and Jo are gone. And the last time I was scared like this, Ric was involved too. He was under your mother's influence and I really thought I was going to die in the classroom alone." Klaus nodded in memory of that day. "When you saved me, I had felt so incredibly safe in your presence. So, after two long weeks of mental torture I did to myself about coming here, I had packed my car and left everything behind. I wanted to feel safe, I wanted them to be safe. Even if I can't understand why I care for them so much."

"It's not a crime to love what you cannot explain, Caroline." Her eyes widened at the saying. "You aren't the only one that had negative thoughts regarding a supernatural pregnancy that shouldn't have happened."

"Hope?" He nodded and looked down at the ground in shame. "It's okay, you did the right thing in the end. That's all the matters." They sat in silence, so she used the time to ask him something more lighthearted. "Why does Freya call you 'Klaus'?"

"Because that's my name?" he smirked. She felt the corners of her mouth turn up and tilted her head to the side as if telling him that wasn't enough. "Because Freya was taken from our family as a small child. Only Finn knew her. She and I are not familiar just yet, even though we have been reunited."

"Elijah calls you 'Niklaus' but Rebekah calls you 'Nik' – what's the reasoning behind that?"

Sighing, he had a feeling these questions were not going to end but he answered anyways. "Elijah was there when I was born and always more proper. To where Rebekah and Kol are younger and I play the role of the elder brother."

He could see the wheels in her head moving but he remained silent. "What should I call you?"

Squinting his eyes, he says, "What do you mean?"

"Well, hopefully you don't consider me a stranger and I definitely don't fear you. I shouldn't call you 'Klaus', should I?"

"You know me quite well, Love. You can call me whatever you wish, and I'd answer. But just so you know…I rather enjoy the way you say my name." His eyes glint as she shivers under his stare.

"Do you have to join your siblings right away?" she whispers.

"I have until this evening." He stood and offered his hand to her. "Would you like a tour of my city?"

Nodding, she grabs it and electricity sparked through them, causing them to let go right away. Looking at her hand, she asks, "Did you feel that?"

Confused, he confirms. "Perhaps it's the babies?" Accepting the answer, they join hands again; this time without the jolt. As they walk through the Mikaelson Compound doors, he moves her hand to rest on his bicep and they walk arm in arm down the streets. Already, they are bustling with people, artists and musicians. He was talking about the history that took place at various locations as they passed and looking in store windows at the goods for sale.

Taking them down an alley, he opens a door that appear as if it obviously was meant to be closed. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to get the best beignets this town has to offer." Wanting to know what he was talking about, she walked through the door he held open for her. Turns out it lead to the kitchen for a restaurant. "Hello Anne Marie."

A woman in her sixties jumped and turned around. Caroline couldn't tell if her hair was white or if she was just covered head to toe in flour. "Mr. Mikaelson! Welcome back! Your usual I presume?"

"Two of them please. You know where I'll be." Anne Marie smiled brightly and nodded before getting back to work. "Follow me," he whispers in Caroline's ear. She shivered again but did as she was told, mentally berating herself for being so weak around him. He led her back outside and stood next to a ladder that reached all the way up to the roof. "After you, sweetheart."

Grinning, she started climbing and about half way up, she looked down, partly expecting the hybrid to have jumped up to the roof and be missing. But to her surprise, he was following her just a few rungs down, staring up at her. "Oh sure, of course you wanted to follow me. Liking that view?"

"I'm not complaining," he smirked. Caroline shook her head and finished climbing. Stepping on the roof, she was delighted with the site of a small two-person table and chairs overlooking the city. "Do you like it?"

"It's beautiful. How did you know about this place?"

"I built this city. I know everything." He pulled a chair out for her and he explained further, "Anne Marie and her family have owned this building for generations. Long ago, I did a favor for them," he told her as he walked around to the other side. "As thanks, they offer free beignets anytime I wish them, and they keep this table up here for privacy."

They watched the city's busy streets for less than five minutes when the door on the left side of the roof opened and Anne Marie was found carrying two large plates of powdered sugar dough pastries. "This is the first time you've ever brought anyone, Mr. Mikaelson. It's nice to see you have someone to spend your time with, sir."

"I've never felt it necessary to bring anyone here prior to today. My...relations were never worthy enough." His words were heavy with desire and meaning. Anne Marie left with a slight bow of respect toward Klaus. He waited until Caroline took her first bite, moaning and closing her eyes. "They're the best in the city."

"If these are the best, I never want to try any else." She takes another large bite. "Oh my god." Looking at him, she pauses. He's sitting relaxed in the chair across from her, his left leg crossed over his right one, and leaning back with his hands clasped on his lap. "You're not eating."

"Perhaps I'm distracted by something more appetizing?"

She pushes the plate in front of him closer to his body and says, "Eat Niklaus." His eyes grew at the use of his full name, but he did what she said.

They were just finishing up the food when Klaus' phone rang. He takes one look at the screen before answering. "Hello Cami."

"Klaus, I am freaking out! Where are you right now?" came Camille's hushed voice over the phone.

"I'm showing someone around the city."

"He's here. Lucien is at the bar right now," panic seeping through her voice.

Klaus swore and then said, "Get out of there now. I'm on my way." Hanging up the phone, he looked up, expecting Caroline to be sitting across from him.

Instead, she was already on the ground, just reaching the last rung on the ladder. "Coming?" she yelled. He smirked and jumped off the roof, landing gracefully next to her. "Show off. Just because you're not pregnant." Her tone got more serious, "If you need to vamp off, go ahead. I think I can remember the way back to the Compound from here."

"No need, it's just down the street. We'll walk."

She nodded, "Lead the way."


	4. Chapter 4

**Tonight is the Mikaelson reunion on The Originals! Are you tuning in? I am! I'm ready to see Kol and Rebekah back on the screen with Klaus, Freya and Elijah.**

 **In this chapter, Camille comes into the story. She, in my mind, always had a good head on her shoulders. The embodiment of a kind and understanding soul and that's how I wanted to write her - not with malice or to break down in a jealous fit. I LOVED Cami in TO...but in my completely bias opinion, Klaroline is endgame!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 ***Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline***

They were silent on the brisk walk to Rousseau's but once they had gotten to the front of the bar, Klaus' manner changed into the dangerous hybrid that most people see him as. Walking through the door, he forced it open and walked in as if he owned the place.

Caroline followed a safe distance behind him but her first opinion of Lucien wasn't a good one. She compared him in her mind to a weasel. "Niklaus! So glad you could join us," he said, dangling a blonde in his arms.

"It would be wise to let her go before you no longer have any arms to use," threatens Klaus.

Seeing Caroline, he smiles, "Who is that lovely morsel?"

Klaus moves in front of Caroline protectively and Lucien's eyes grow suspicious, even though he says nothing. Lucien then bites Camille and she screams. Klaus charges towards him but despite Klaus being a hybrid, Lucien was sly. Due to an unforeseen circumstance, by the time Klaus catches Camille before her body hit the floor, Lucien had reached Caroline.

He holds her up by her throat and her feet are dangling above the floor. As Klaus is cradling Camille's body, Caroline reaches in her purse, pulling out a stake and jams it in his chest, barely missing his heart.

Falling to the ground, Lucien howls in pain with a pissed off Caroline standing over him. "Try that again, and I won't miss next time." Grabbing his head, she raises her knee and breaks his nose.

"You think you can beat me? Do you even know who I am?" sneers Lucien, while holding his bloody nose and pulling the stake out of his chest painfully.

"No, I don't, and I don't care. I've faced vampires who are much older than I am, and I'm still here. So don't even think for a second, that your age scares me," Caroline was seething in front of him as Klaus cured Camille behind her. "Don't you dare touch her again."

"I would take her seriously, mate," says Klaus, now taking his rightful spot – next to Caroline's side.

"Well, well, well...the king has finally found his queen. Oh, how upset Aurora will be with this news." Caroline didn't want to show question on her face regarding whoever Aurora was, so she remained deadpan. Lucien was expecting surprise, so he stood up, looking from Camille, to Klaus, back to Caroline before whooshing off out of the bar.

Turning around, Caroline asks Camille, "Are you okay?"

The other blonde nods before asking, "Who are you?"

"Caroline Forbes."

She reaches out to shake her hand, which Camille takes with a small smile. "Camille O'Connell. But everyone calls me Cami." Letting go of Caroline's hand, she adds, "So, you're the Caroline from Mystic Falls, huh?" Caroline looks at Klaus, expecting him to explain but he, too, looked curious. "Elijah and I talked when we were keeping Hope safe from Dahlia. I told him you were guarded with your heart and wouldn't let me in, except in brief moments."

"I never offered you anything more than an afternoon," he said, quietly. "I couldn't."

"I know. He said it's because you were waiting. Waiting for the day that she..." she sighed, side glancing at Caroline. "...that you would come back. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to go home. It's been a trying day."

Klaus stepped aside as she walked towards the door before grabbing her arm, "I'm sorry, Cami."

"I'm not, it was worth it," she smiled up at him sadly and then left.

Caroline frowned as the other blonde exited the bar. "I shouldn't have come here."

Turning around, Klaus comes face to face with her. "What makes you say that?"

"You have a life here. Your family is closer than ever, you have a baby, you have friends." Looking at him with a sad face, she added, "You already have someone who you care for. I don't want to stand in the way of you being happy with Cami."

Putting her cheek in his left hand and her waist in his right, he speaks softly, "Love, I have never made Camille promises I couldn't keep. When I told you that I would be your last love, however long it took...I meant it."

"If you wouldn't have made that promise to me – if maybe you would have met her first – would you then be sending her away right now?" Caroline's eyes were serious.

He backed away, crossing his arms over his chest, "If I answer 'yes', I fear you wouldn't believe me."

"You're right. I don't think I would."

They stared at each other, both in deep thought until Klaus' phone rang. "What?"

"Jackson and I need to go out to the bayou, the wolves are getting into something again and we need to go run some damage control. Can you come get Hope?" came Hayley's voice.

"I'm on my way. Meet me in the Compound." He hung up the phone and said, "We should go."

They were silent on the walk back to the Mikaelson Compound and as soon as they entered, their ears were flooded from Hayley yelling into her phone. "Just hold them off until we get there!" Hanging up, she handed Caroline the baby and dropped the bag on the chair next to her. "Freya is on her way, she'll be here in five minutes. Jackson is waiting for me in the car." Turning to Klaus, "I'm sure you really don't want to, but I could actually use your assistance...unfortunately and reluctantly. Elijah isn't here for me to ask. Last I knew, he and Marcel were scouting out the de Martel's."

Klaus looks at Hope comfortably in Caroline's arms and was about to say that he wasn't going to go with Hayley, but Caroline answered for him. "He'll go with you. Besides, Hope and I can get to know each other, and this will be good practice for when these two pop out," she said, putting a hand on her stomach.

Grabbing her elbow, he asks, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, besides, Hayley said Freya is almost here. Worst thing that could happen is I could get lost in this big giant house for a few minutes and she'll have to find us." She smiled at him, slightly pushing him in the chest, "Go." He left with Hayley after telling her what time Hope usually lays down for a nap.

Once alone, she looked down at the baby in her arms. "Well, little one, what's on the agenda for today?" Pulling a blanket out of the Pack-and-Play, Caroline walked to her room, laying the blanket on the carpet. She found a few soft toys in the diaper bag to give Hope as she busied herself with cleaning the room, wiping down all the furniture and stripping the bedding to replace with fresh, listening to the Hope's giggles. After taking many breaks to bounce Hope on her knee or play airplane with her, Caroline finished with the room.

After a little over an hour, Freya still hadn't joined her, and she was getting worried about the long-lost sister witch. Wishing she had asked Klaus Caroline picks up Hope and wonders around the Compound, exploring. Finding Klaus' room again, she noticed that there was an adjoining door on the side. Opening the door, she found a beautiful nursery, with one of Klaus' paintings above the crib. Caroline could tell a lot of love and admiration was put into the piece he did specially for his daughter.

Caroline placed Hope down in the crib for her nap and closed all the other doors, except the one that was connecting the two rooms, in attempt to block out as much street noise as she could. Looking around his room, she picked a book off the shelf, only to find it was in another language. "Of course," she grunts before attempting to find one that was in English.

Another hour passed when Caroline's vampire hearing picked up on a conversation downstairs and soon someone was coming up the staircase towards Klaus' room. Her heart quickened as she thought about a plan of attack until she could sense Klaus' presence. Calming down, she relaxed and waited for the door to open.

He was covered completely in blood – dripping from his hair to all the way down to where his shoes were soaked in it as well – and his face was heavy with thought. He didn't even seem to notice her sitting in the corner as he headed to the closet to retrieve new clothes. It wasn't until she closed the book she was reading, did he stand up straight, noticing her presence. "Klaus?"

Pausing, he looks over at her. "Where's Hope?"

Pointing to the open door to the nursery, she answers, "Taking a nap." He nods and resumes trying to find a clean shirt. "What's wrong?"

He doesn't answer her. Instead he just places his clean outfit on the bathroom counter, walks to the shower and turns on the water. Clothes and all, he steps in, not bothering stripping first. Caroline considers leaving him alone, but she couldn't, so she follows him to find he's standing with his hands on the wall of the shower, letting the water wash away all his sins. The blood rushing down his body into the drain.

Not being concerned by the idea of getting drenched and against all better judgements, Caroline steps into the shower with him, putting a hand on his shoulder. Softer than she meant, her voice could barely be heard, "Nik, what's going on?"

"The witches were attacking the wolves."

"Why?"

"Because this is New Orleans," he said this more harshly than he meant to. "The wolves, the vampires, the witches, the humans – they're all at war with each other."

She didn't back down despite his callous words. "Then I don't understand. If this is normal behavior for the city, what's going on with you?"

His body stiffened under her touch before dropping his arms to his sides and turns around to face her. "The witches had a message for me. They said my destruction would come from the hands of my mate."

"Mate?"

"The wolves, centuries ago, used to believe in mates. The one wolf that was destined to be theirs. Upon seeing their face while shifted, they were bonded. It only happened for the Alphas, but as the wolves became more spread out, the notion of mates was deemed a legend."

Standing there watching the water cascading over him, blocking most of it so it wasn't hitting her, she was silent, taking in all the information before asking, "Who's your mate?"

"I have no idea. I've never been shifted long enough to have been mated."

Caroline thought for a second and then put on her most optimistic, Miss Mystic voice, "We'll figure it out. You finish up in here, I'll go check on Hope, and then we'll sit down and work on this together."

As she turns to leave, he catches her hand and spins her around. Pressing her up against the opposite wall and kisses her roughly. Her eyes widen before fluttering closed. As quickly as it started, he pulled away from her. "I'm sorry, Love. I wasn't going to do that. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's..." she cleared her throat. "It's okay." She forced herself to leave him only to find her clothes were damp from pressing her body against his. "Excuse me."


	5. Chapter 5

**My husband has been deployed since April and I'm having a rather emotional week. The only thing keeping me going is seeing all the super nice reviews coming in from those who have read my story and, of course, watching The Originals on Wednesday nights always lifts my spirits (even though the last few episodes have been heart wrenching - no spoilers but expect a few tears to be shed). I love this fandom and all my readers – you're all wonderful.**

 **Until next chapter, sweethearts!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 ** _*Klaus &Caroline*Klaus&Caroline*Klaus&Caroline*Klaus&Caroline*_**

Closing the bathroom door, she leaned up against it and sighed before checking on Hope. Just a minute after settling into a chair in Hope's nursery, Hayley walks in. Her hair was wet as if she, too, just took a shower. "Hey Caroline. Thanks for watching her."

"It's no problem. Honestly, I'm surprised that you left her with me. You and I didn't leave things on the best note."

She waved her hand. "We made a good team before all the stupid stuff with Shane happened. I was dumb back then. Having a child with someone I hated after a really drunken night is the prime example of how dumb."

"I'd say it was worth it," Caroline offered.

"Definitely," she agreed immediately, looking down at her daughter. "And despite everything with Klaus, he loves her. I couldn't ask for a better father for Hope."

Thinking of the distracted hybrid still in the shower, Caroline says, "Maybe tell him that every now and then."

Hayley said nothing but picked up Hope and prepared to leave. "I'm going to go home with Jackson. It's been a long day, could really use some time alone. Just us three." Caroline nods and Hayley includes, "Tell Klaus that Freya called. She's fine. Rebekah found her, and she was knocked out. Something about a spell gone wrong and backfiring."

"Oh, good! I was getting worried about her."

"She also said she has all the ingredients for your siphoning amulet; including all the blood. Rebekah, Elijah and myself all offered."

This news surprised Caroline. "You? Why?"

Looking sad, Hayley said, "Ask him about Hope's birth sometime. I don't want you to go through what I did. After a lot of talking with Jackson, I made up my mind to help you."

"Thank you," she said – and she meant it.

"See you tomorrow." Caroline nodded at her and watched her leave.

After ten minutes, Caroline looks up to see Klaus walking into the room. All he had on was jeans, his shirt was slung over his shoulder and a towel running through his hair. "Hayley picked up Hope and took her home for the night." Creasing her eyebrows, she adds, "I hope that was okay."

He smiled at her and nodded. "It's okay."

As he finished drying his curly, dirty blonde hair and slinging the towel into the clothes basket in the corner, Caroline added, "Oh, and Rebekah found Freya. Hayley said that she was knocked unconscious but she's fine now. Also, that she has all the ingredients for the stone to help with the babies."

He nodded, "We'll go see her in the morning."

Caroline, trying not to stare at his lean and toned body, she shakes her head saying, "I thought you could tell me some stuff about mating for the wolves and maybe knowing the signs of it, we could narrow down who you think yours is."

"I already said I've never shifted as a full wolf for very long before. This is pointless."

Crossing her arms, "Seriously? Niklaus, you're a hybrid. You've broken the supernatural rules before. Who knows, maybe your mate is human...or a vampire. You never know!"

His face suddenly got very serious. "You think it could be a vampire?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she says, "It's possible. Hope is a perfect case that anything is possible when it comes to you," she said. He was deep in thought until she voiced the end of her will power, "Put your shirt on already, you're so distracting!"

He smirks as he put his Henley shirt on, before taking his seat next to her. "Mates have a number of indicators. The most important one is that regardless of the danger, they would protect each other at all costs. No matter how many others tell them not to follow the other into battle, they will always be side by side." Caroline writes in a small notebook as he talks. "Mates are also rumored to share abilities, much like how Hayley and Jackson's marriage allowed them to share with the rest of the pack the potential to control the shift. However, mates only share those abilities with each other until they chose to perform the Unification Ceremony."

"Ah, I was wondering about that. Knew there was no way you had secret stashes of Elena's blood hidden away enough for a whole pack."

"Hayley was killed just seconds after childbirth. Hope's blood was in her system just long enough for her to come back as a hybrid."

Caroline sat processing all the information. _That's why she wanted to help_.

Klaus, wanting to move on, sighed, "Alphas are also submissive to their mate. Obviously, they don't listen to anyone else in the pack, but when they are bonded, it's impossible to defy them. They find themselves doing things that they normally wouldn't do."

Caroline scribbled that down. "Anything else?"

"One last thing, they can sense each other when separated because they always want to be in proximity of each other, it's a force they cannot explain. And when they are truly bonded, they can share memories."

"Like vampires do."

He grinned at her deduction. "Yes, much like vampires can."

Ripping the notes from her book, she handed it to him. "Here. Maybe this will help you think about who it could be."

Glancing at her handwriting, he tries thinking if he had ever had feelings like they had discussed. There were some women who fell into one or two of the categories. Caroline, on the other hand, could be connected to each one. He had run in to Mystic Falls High as soon as he found out she was being held there; something he wouldn't have done otherwise. Alaric was stronger and had the means to kill him, yet Klaus went anyways.

Klaus also remembered every time he had ever been stuck under her spell. He let Tyler live on many occasions – something that not only did he not want to do, but he had never done before – just because of her. He allowed Katherine to die in peace, giving up a half of a millennium of revenge, because she asked.

Then earlier today, she had pushed him out the door with Hayley when every part of him was screaming to stay with her.

He had also caught moments where he just had to be touching her. As if being near her wasn't enough.

Looking up, his memories flooding through his mind, he finds the girl, sitting cross legged in his chair. She had her head bent down and was reading one of his books. "Caroline?"

Lifting her head up, her bright eyes connected with his. "Yeah?"

"Do you remember your eighteenth birthday?"

Smiling, she nods. "You saved my life...after you put it in danger."

Hanging his head, he confessed, "I wasn't planning on saving you."

Her smile faded. "What does that mean?"

"I went there to watch you die. I had no intentions on healing you just because my newly made hybrid was begging me to."

She closed the book on her lap and laid it on the table next to her. "Then why did you?"

"Because, when I walked in and saw you laying there, fighting for your life...I just couldn't do it. The fire in your eyes told me you wanted to live and for some unknown reason, I wanted you to live too." She looked down at the floor, taking in his confession. "I believe you to be my mate, Caroline."

Her heart sped up and her mind racing. "I'm not comfortable with this."

"Being my mate?" This hurt Klaus more than he was willing to share out loud.

"No, surprisingly, I'm okay with that." She looked up to find solace in his eyes. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of me leading to your destruction."

He sighed in relief, "I'm not worried about that." She was about to argue with him, so he walked over to her, kneels in front of her to hold her hands in his. "You needn't to worry about that either."

She gripped his hands tightly before asking, "One thing though, you said that mates share abilities. I'm not a hybrid or suddenly unkillable. How can you be so sure it's me?"

"We haven't bonded yet. And I can't explain but I'm sure. It's why I believe what I said about Cami earlier today to be true."

 _"If you wouldn't have made that promise to me – if maybe you would have met her first – would you then be sending her away right now?"_

 _"If I answer 'yes', I fear you wouldn't believe me."_

"How are we supposed to bond? I'm not a werewolf, I can't shift."

Klaus thought about this before replying, "I don't know. We'll figure it out." He paused. "That is, if you wish to go down this road."

She heard his heart pounding in his chest. Did she really want this? Was she ready for forever? Did she want to become a permanent member of the Mikaelson family? Klaus stayed quiet while she thought, not wanting anything he said to dissuade her from her honest feelings. She considered why she came here. After finally getting him to promise to never return to Mystic Falls, she ran to him the first chance she could. Sure, at first, she thought it was only because she needed the help but if she were being truthful to herself, it was just a good excuse. Everyone had left her alone and she no longer had to wonder what her friends would say, nor did she have anyone to protect anymore.

Did she want to be bonded to Klaus for the rest of eternity? Her heart was screaming yes. Staring into his deep blue eyes and she could see that he wanted her to take that leap with him. He tilts his head, waiting for an answer. Unable to take their closeness any longer, she grabs his shirt and pulls him to her lips eagerly. He accepts this swiftly and wraps his arms around her waist, their bodies colliding after she uncrosses her legs and puts one on each side of his hips.

Unsure if they had been kissing for seconds or hours, Caroline finally pulled herself away from him. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, sweetheart." His hands on her thighs.

"Please know that this is what I want. I just need time."

Standing, held his hand out to her, to pull her up to her feet. "I understand. For tonight, just get some rest. Once you wake in the morning, we'll go see Freya about the syphoning stone."

She nodded once. "I deep cleaned that spare room today you offered me while I was spending time with Hope. I'll stay there tonight." She exited his room and he followed her down the hall. "Good night, Niklaus."

He pushed her slightly against the doorframe. "Good night, Love," and then gave her a quick, passionate kiss.

Beaming, she enters her room and changes her clothes. She had found earlier in the day that her suitcases had been delivered. By Klaus' minions she had guessed. Finding a pair of yoga pants and an oversized t-shirt, she took a quick shower before laying on the bed, cuddling with one of the extra pillows, falling asleep immediately with a wide grin on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

**Got another chapter for you - hope you like it. Everyday I'm tweaking something to make it just right for everyone.**

 **Gosh, all your nice comments...I can't even begin to thank you for them! Thanks for reading everyone.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 ***TVD/TO*Klaus &Caroline*TVD/TO*Klaus&Caroline***

Getting a text from Elijah, he decided to stay in the Compound for the night rather than join him and Marcel. The three of them figured that would better to leave him at home to retain a calm, untroubled guise while Freya snooped around to locate the seer that started this whole prophecy thing with the witches.

Klaus was downstairs in his studio, listening to his baby vampire walk around her room and he couldn't help but smile as he pulled out his brushes and paints. It wasn't long until he hears the even intake of her breaths to indicate she had fallen asleep. Using her breathing and heartbeat as a metronome, he began his newest piece. Coloring the canvas with bright colors and subtle strokes, he had just about finished with the painting when he heard Caroline screaming his name.

Dropping his paintbrush on the floor, fear for her chills the blood in his veins as he vamps to her bedroom, just in time to see a stake stuck in her left lung. "Ugg," she cries as she pulls it out, coughing up blood. She sees him and points, "She left out the window." He rushes over but doesn't see anyone. "I'm lucky that I woke up when I did. The only thing that saved me was moving at the last second."

"Do you know who it was?" he asks, going to her side. Offering his arm for her to heal, she took it hesitantly but drank for a brief moment.

Letting go, she wiped the corners of her mouth before answering his question, "No, but she had red-brown hair and green eyes though. I did see that."

His face got serious and all the sudden, leaves the room with Caroline right behind him at his heels. In the studio, he moves a photo off the wall and starts punching the bricks. She was afraid she had made him angry by not getting more helpful information. But soon, she found that behind the brick was a second wall with a beautiful woman painted on it. "Is this who you saw?"

"Yes! Do I want to know who that is?"

He bitterly answered, "Aurora. She was Rebekah's first sire. Lucien was desperately in love with her when he was human. However, she loved another."

"You?"

"Yes. And I thought I loved her, reciprocating her feelings. She found out about Lucien being turned and bagged me to do the same. At the time, I considered myself a monster and didn't want her to turn into what I had become, so I denied her. Tricking Rebekah, she had gotten what she wanted and was turned into a vampire. Then when Mikael heard of our location, we were forced to flee. I begged her to come with us, but the tides turned, and she denied me, just I had." Caroline felt sorry for him but at the same time, she wished she had ripped Aurora's heart out when she woke up. "Turned out that Elijah had used his compulsion for the first time."

"He compelled her to tell you to leave without her?" That didn't sound like the Elijah that Elena had once known.

"It was an accident. I probably would have daggered him for what he did back then though, had I known. I was destroyed, and I cared for her for a long time afterwards but eventually I was able to let go of her."

"You said 'cared for', not 'loved'," she noted.

"Yes, I did. I didn't know what love was." He looked back at the fallen brick around his feet. "The day I arrived back in New Orleans, I covered this portrait up."

She looked at him seriously, "You covered it up, Klaus, you didn't destroy it. There must still be something there." He looked at her with furrowed eyebrows, and then walked over to his paints. As he picks up a bucket, Caroline asks, "What are you doing?" He takes a swing backwards and then forward as the entire bucket of bright red paint splashes over the picture, as if someone had just been slaughtered in the room, covering the wall in blood. "KLAUS!?"

"There is nothing there Caroline. Not for a very long time. I thought covering it was good enough but it's not to you. If I must tear this entire house down and rebuild from scratch to prove it to you, then so be it."

Her heart was pounding in her chest. "No need. I believe you. You don't just ruin a perfectly painted portrait for no reason."

He placed the paint pail down on the floor and walked over to her. "She attacked you today because Lucien saw how I defended you."

"'The king has finally found his queen'," she repeated from Lucien's words earlier. Klaus smiled at her before placing a warm hand on her cold arm. "Well, I'm up now. I'm going to change." She looked down at her shirt, seeing a hole in it. "Man, I liked this shirt too. Bitch."

He laughed, "I'll buy you another, Love." She turned around to leave but was stopped. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." She looked at the question on his face and adds, "I'm with you, I'm always okay." He lets go of her but follows her in her room. "If you're going to stand there, the least you could do is turn around."

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he jokes but turns nonetheless, but after she throws a pillow at his face.

His hybrid hearing picked up on the sound of Elijah tiredly walking to his room.

As he listens to her change, he's quiet. "Wow, it's only four-thirty in the morning? We probably will have to wait a few hours before we can visit Freya, huh?"

"Actually, she was with Marcel and Elijah, so she's probably still up from that. They were trying to get some information on the Strix. I just now heard Elijah walk in, so I'm positive she just made it home as well. "

Lastly, pulling on a shirt, she said, "You can turn around now. What are the Strix?"

Admiring her as she fixed her hair in the mirror, he answered, "A group of Elijah's sires, all trained to protect him from potential threats. They were looking to recruit Marcel last night."

"And Marcel is from Elijah's sire line?"

"No, he's from mine. I turned him myself."

Shaking her head, confused, she asks, "Then why do they want him?"

"That's what we've been trying to figure out." He crossed his arms, "There's something else going on that we don't know. And I don't like it."

Thinking, Caroline offers, "What if I say that I'm part of Elijah's line? Could I get in too? They know Marcel is yours but they don't know who turned me. If we could try to figure out a dead vampire I could be linked to, they can't question who turned me."

He shook his head, "I don't want to put you in that position. Besides, they'd hear the babies' heartbeats and they would learn more than you want them to know."

"Unless, we can mask them with magic. They were originally. Valerie had to take the spell off in order to find them there. What if we put the spell back on?" She could tell Klaus was about to argue with her, so she added, "If I'm going to stay here with you, I might as well earn my keep by helping protect your family."

Wrapping his arms around her frame, he whispers in her ear, "Love, just being here is good enough for me. Please don't endanger the babies by putting yourself in a dangerous position." She silently agreed by accepting the embrace. Just as she was about to push him away to stop her feelings from erupting once again, his phone started ringing. Keeping one arm around one her, he answered, "Hello Sister."

"Klaus, I'm on my way home. The seer wasn't any help. Maybe I could find Davina and ask for her assistance?" came Freya's voice.

"I'll meet you at your loft. We need you to finish the spell for Caroline. And I'll call Marcel later today to see if his hideaway Regent witch would be willing to join forces."

Within minutes of Klaus and Caroline arriving to an empty apartment, Freya was walking through the front door, a drink carrier in hand. "Good morning everyone. I know you can't have coffee but here's a hot tea," she offers a cup to Caroline and another to Klaus.

"Thank you," she took the cup appreciatively, wondering why the sudden change of heart.

"Klaus, can you do us a favor and run out the bayou and look for this flower? It had to wait to be picked until the exact time that we were going to use it, otherwise the magical properties start dissipating." She holds a book up to show him. "But leave your blood behind so I can get started on the rest of the spell."

He looks unsure but bites into his hand, draining his blood into a wine glass before whooshing off quickly, leaving her and Freya alone. "Can I ask you a question?" Freya nods at her, while busying herself with the ingredients. "Why are you bringing me tea this morning? When it was quite obvious that you didn't trust me yesterday?"

Straightening up, Freya stopped what she was doing and looked at the blonde vampire. "When I first got here, I linked myself with Elijah and Klaus to use their power as my own to do a rather complicated spell to protect our family. Doing this allows me to not only use their power, but it allows me to see into their minds. You looked familiar yesterday – and my brother trusted you instantly – so I went home and looked at my notes from that day. I had written something about a girl named Caroline and how much Klaus was in love with her. Regardless of how much he tried to shield his memories with you from me, the brief glimpses I had seen, I described someone who looks exactly like you. If you were the same girl, then I knew you would never do anything to hurt our family and I could trust you...because he trusts you."

"Believe me, he doesn't trust easily."

"Oh, I know! I'm still not even sure he trusts me completely yet. It's taken a while for us to get to this point."

Wanting to reassure Freya, Caroline says, "He wouldn't have left me alone with you, twice, if he didn't trust you." Freya smiled before finishing her task. Biting into her hand and letting the blood drip into a small bowl, Caroline handed her the second to last item.

It didn't take Klaus nearly as much time as Caroline expected before returning, flower in hand. "Thank you, Brother," said Freya as she tossed in all the pieces together, chanting under her breath. The candles surrounding her blew out as the wind whipped around her, magic flowing through the air. "It's done." She lifts up the necklace and offers it to Caroline. "Try it, see if it helps."

Klaus takes the necklace and clasps it behind her neck for her. As soon as he does, she gasps. "What's wrong, Love?"

A single tear ran down her cheek as she felt her magic return to her body. "It's hard to describe, but I'm feeling ten times better right now. I can't believe they were making me feel so weak and I didn't notice."

Freya offered a reason, "That might be because they were taking it slowly and you didn't know it." Looking a Klaus, she asked, "Do you feel the effects?" He shakes his head, his eyes only on Caroline. "Then it's working like it should. They are stealing from all of you. If they were going to pick one to siphon magic from, it would be the most powerful of the four."

Caroline walked over to Freya and gave her a meaningful hug to symbolize how much she appreciated her. "Thank you!"

Freya let go and nodded to her. "Anytime." Yawning, she shoos them out of her loft politely. "Sorry but I'm getting a little tired. You can't look this good at a thousand-years-old without some beauty sleep."


	7. Chapter 7

**Two whole weeks without a new episode of The Originals? What will I do on Wednesday nights?**

 **So, this chapter is rated M for the smut – if you're not comfortable with that, please wait for chapter 8, I'll do a recap at the beginning of chapter 8 so you don't lose out on anything you'll need to know for the future chapters.**

 **Also, I want to just say for the record that I am a fan of Stefan - as a friend! I just wanted to go a different route with this story and wanted Caroline's choice to stay in NOLA more definite.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 _ ***Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline***_

Walking back to the Compound, Caroline noticed the sun rising over the city now. "Niklaus?"

He puts his arm around her waist. "Hmm?"

"Can we go see Anne Marie again this morning? I'm sure your exhausted, having not slept in a while but we can go back to your place afterwards."

"Of course. And once you've lived a couple millennium, you gain the ability not to rest for longer periods of time. Sometimes I forget how young you still are."

She didn't know what to say but she quickly thought of a soothing response. "Thanks to you, I can have a thousand years someday too. You did promise after all." Recalling her eighteen birthday, he smiled.

Reaching Anne Marie's restaurant, they ordered and then went to the roof. "I enjoy coming here. It's the one place in the city that is unreached from anyone other than me," Klaus mused. Caroline was silent, thinking maybe she should leave. Sensing that, he turned to her, "It's a blessing to share this with you," and she smiled at him warmly. "Long ago, I had this place spelled. The only way anyone would be able to get up here is if they were with me or one of Anne Marie's kin. I put in a call to a witch to have that changed to include you now too. If you're ever in trouble, you can come here for safety and I'll find you."

Anne Marie brought up two hot teas and the orders of beignets before leaving quickly just like the day before. Caroline noticed that Klaus was waiting to eat until she took her first bite again, which she did happily. Finishing her second pastry, she looked up at him with thoughts running wild in her brain. "I want to finish the bonding with you." He appeared surprised and had to put his beignet back down on his plate. "On one condition."

"Name it," he said, without hesitation.

"I want to wait until these babies are born." She put a hand on her stomach and looked down, listening to the little heartbeats flutter. "You once told me about the hummingbird, what that meant to you... these little ones are my hummingbird. I want to deliver them, I want to raise them, I want them to grow up feeling loved. They are surviving off the magic you and your family are providing them right now. If I finish the mating process with you, then I will be just as powerful as you are...and they will never want to come out."

He didn't need to think about it, "I think...," he puts his palm on her cheek, "...that is rather wise." She leaned into his touch. "You have a deal Miss Forbes." Smiling, she pulled away from him. "Does that mean that we can finally assume you're ready for my offer?"

Leaning back in her chair, she crosses her left leg over her right seductively. "What offer?"

Getting up quickly, he circles the table like the predator that he is. His hands on both sides of her chair, he leans in closer to her body. He notices how her breath hitches in her throat and smirks. "However long it takes, Caroline."

"'Perhaps one day in a year or even a century, you'll turn up at my door and let me show you what the world has to offer'." She scrunched up her nose trying to remember word for word that he told her that night of the decades dance.

"Who knew it would be the former? It works in my favor."

She cocked her head to the right. "Maybe it works in mine, not yours."

His nose only centimeters from hers, he adds, "I'm okay with that." Sliding his right hand up her leg slowly, he says, "You didn't answer my question."

"Hmmm, maybe I didn't." She squirmed in her seat against his touch. "Klaus," she whispered, breathlessly.

"Yes, Love?" His head was dipped between her neck and shoulder now, breathing in her scent.

Shivering under him, she finds her hands moving on their own as she lifts them up to tangle into his hair, tugging and pulling him closer. Running her hands down to his back, she finds her nails digging into his shirt. "Why do you torture me?"

"I could ask you the same thing." His lips finally touch her skin and she moans loudly in his ear. "Tell me what you want Caroline."

Her control snapping, she whispers, "I want you. I only want you, Klaus. I want forever."

He responds by putting his mouth on hers, kissing her intensely. Pulling her body towards his, his arms wrap around her waist protectively and possessively. She wraps her legs around his, trying to get as close to him as possible. After stripping his jacket from his shoulders, his hand migrates down reach behind him, grabbing behind her knee. The intimacy of how he was touching her, it was as if he wanted to remember every little detail.

Caroline reaches in between them and fumbles with the button on his jeans while he moves his mouth down her chin to her chest. He lifts her shirt over her head and her hair flares over her back in golden ringlets. Taking a slight moment to appreciate the woman in front of him, Klaus is distracted, causing Caroline to move things forward on her own, stripping him of his shirt.

Her fingers traced his chest, taking a second to appreciate the tattoo lining his shoulder before drawing a line down to his open jeans. Caroline enjoys the shutter she feels coming from him. "Has any other girl made you feel this way? Made you feel weak at the knees? Made you shiver just at a simple touch? Made you want more?"

"Never. I've never wanted a woman as much as I have wanted you," his voice was hoarse, thick in desire and meaning.

"Do you know how that makes me feel?" Her lips were at his ear, nibbling at it slowly.

"Tell me."

Pushing him away, she makes him back up to sit on the ground. His eyes were questioning her, that was until she straddled his lap, leaning down to kiss him. "It makes me feel powerful." Grinding on him, she could feel how turned on he was but saying that made the attraction intensify.

"Caroline," he whispered before flipping them over. Laying her down on his jacket and shirt, he took a hand down the length of her body before slowly removing the rest of her clothes. Seeing her spread out naked in front of him, he watched her squirm with the hunger to be touched by him again. "You're beautiful."

Stroking her core, Klaus savored each and every touch until she was begging him to enter her. "Nik…please…" she whined.

Her legs were wrapped tightly around his and when he entered her. They both moaned as they completed each other. Her fingers gripped his biceps tightly, her nails breaking his skin. He hissed but rolled his hips as the wounds started healing themselves immediately. Moving together in complete sync, they held onto each other tightly, their lips connected; not ever wanting to let go.

Their time in the woods had been a goodbye but this was more of reacquainting themselves with each other. This was a start to forever.

Wrapping his arms around Caroline, Klaus was laying on the stone floor of the rooftop comfortably with her entire body draped over his. Her toes were wiggling against his ankle while his fingers twirled her hair.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, gently placing a hand over her stomach.

"Still good. This stone that Freya made for them is working. I haven't felt this good since Ric and Jo's wedding." Suddenly breaking the quietness, her phone starts going off with an ear-piercing ringtone that cut through the silence. Scrunching her nose, she said, "No one has called me in weeks."

Reaching over, Klaus pulls the phone from her jeans pocket before handing to her. "Who is it?"

"Stefan." She looked up at Klaus. "I really don't want to answer this."

"Then don't." Grabbing the phone back, he answered it, "Rippah."

There was silence before, "Klaus?" came over the other side. "What have you done with Caroline?" Stefan's voice had turned from surprise to protectiveness and worry.

"Nothing. But I should be asking you the same thing."

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to Caroline."

Feeling his anger rising, he squeezed Caroline's body tighter. "Exactly. You did nothing. One day, a beautiful, blonde vampire comes to my city looking for me. Imagine my surprise that she's magically pregnant thanks to a spell and all of her friends have left her alone to deal with it." Stefan was quiet, with nothing to say. "Why are you calling?"

"I was wondering how she was doing."

"She's doing good…now," Klaus' voice became softer on that last word by just a hair, only Caroline picked up on it.

"I think I'd like to hear that from her," Stefan's suspicions were heavy in his words.

Looking down at Caroline, Klaus raised his eyebrows in question. Normally, he wouldn't even bother but he was trying to be better...for her...and he knew that she still cared for all her friends. Taking the phone, she says, "I'm fine Stefan."

"Caroline, please come back to Mystic Falls," he pleaded.

"No." Klaus' fingers traced her arm in comfort while Stefan asked why not. "Because, I'm rebuilding my life here. Klaus is helping me – his whole family is helping me – and I'm not going to take their kindness for granted." She stares into his bright blue eyes, her features softening as she talked. "Besides, I don't want to leave him."

"This isn't you, Care." She could almost hear him shaking his head on the other side. Then in a whispered tone, he asks, "Are you sure you're taking your vervain?"

Caroline's jaw locks up in irritability. "Not that it's any of your information but yes, I am taking it every day. But Klaus would never do that to me."

"Does he know?"

Her body went stiff and while she wasn't happy with Damon, she had forgiven him a long time ago. Knowing Stefan, he was probably worried Klaus would go after his brother. "No," she watched Klaus' face turn into worry and question. "Honestly, I haven't even thought about it until you brought it up." Sighing, she finishes the conversation by saying, "Look Stefan, I still love you and everyone else back home. But I'm where I need to be right now. I'm sorry. Visit anytime." And just like that, she hangs up on him, not feeling even a little guilty about it. A phone call that started off with him wanting to know how she was doing, turned into something about Damon and an interrogation. Shocker.

"Love, what did he mean? What don't I know?" Klaus asked, feeling her body leave his and he watched as she found her clothes.

Looking up from her task, she says, "If I tell you, can you promise that no one will get hurt?"

Suspicion grows in his eyes. "If I have to make that kind of vow before you tell me, you must think I'm going to react badly."

"That's because I know you, Niklaus." She smirked at him, throwing him his pants. He nods to her as an agreement to her terms. "You know how I was killed. But Katherine isn't my sire, she just finished it. Damon is." She waited but found he didn't have anything to say yet, so she continued. "Damon rolled into town and needed a...plaything." Klaus' face turned menacing. "I allowed it to happen at first. I was so desperate for attention. My self-esteem was at an all-time low when I was human. He used me for blood and sex whenever he wanted. Compelling me constantly. I got hurt and Elena begged him to heal me, which he did. I was in the hospital recovering when Katherine found me." His eyes turned yellow in hatred. "Nik, I'm thankful I had to go through that."

"What?!"

She kneeled next to him, placing a hand on his cheek. "You were right, I like being this way. I'm glad that I'm a vampire. I take vervain, not because I don't trust you, but because I never want to be used again without my consent." Unable to convince him, she reminded him, "You promised. Damon is not to be hurt."

"I never specifically agreed to that out loud." She scowled at him, sighing he adds, "I don't like this."

"But you promised."

He shook his head, "I don't like feeling powerless against you." Sighing, he gave in. "Alright Caroline. How about this? You tell me everything, leaving no secrets between us. And in return, I will make sure no harm comes to any of your friends by my doing." Thinking for a second, he adds, "And you can add to that list at any time."

"I accept your terms, Mr. Mikaelson. One thing though." He sat there irritatingly smug at the comment. _Of course, she would_ , he thought. "If I'm going to tell you everything, I want that in return. No secrets."

"I've been alive for a very long time," he said with a scowl.

"Good thing we have forever then." Leaving the inviting warmth of his body, she stood and finished getting dressed. He soon followed suit and they were on their way back to the Compound.


	8. Chapter 8

**Recap of chapter 7 for those who prefer not to read rated M material.**

 **-Caroline agreed to complete the mating process with Klaus with the condition that they wait until the babies are born in order to not cause any unnecessary complications with the birth.**

 **-Stefan called to check in with Caroline and then tried to get her to return to Mystic Falls. She declined his offer and said she would rather stay with Klaus.**

 **-Caroline told Klaus about what happened with Damon when he first rolled into town. In doing so, Klaus made a promise that all the friends would not be killed by his hand.**

 **Thanks for reading! Lots of love**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 _ ***Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline***_

Hand in hand, they walk in the front door of the Compound to find Aurora sitting on the couch waiting for them. "Niklaus, there you are." Her eyes narrowed at Caroline. "I've been waiting for you."

He had her in a chokehold faster than Caroline could visually process. "You have some nerve coming back here."

"I had to see you."

She tried stroking his face, but Caroline was now standing next to Klaus and she grabs the other vampire's hand. "Don't you dare touch him."

"Oh, darling, please. He needn't bother with you when he finally has me. Someone who has known him for a thousand years."

Letting Caroline respond, Klaus remained silent. "You may have met a thousand years ago but you know nothing about him."

A smug look on her face made Caroline pause for a second. "I know he doesn't like being a monster."

Not bothering her with a back and forth of who knows Klaus better, Caroline sneered, "He's not a monster," and then snapped her neck. Klaus let go of the limp body as it sagged to the floor. "For being a thousand-years-old, she's a child."

Klaus agreed, "She was back then too. Only difference was that I was also."

"Do you see me as a child?"

He gathered her in his arms, looking down at her. "No, you're young but you have an old soul."

"What are we going to do with her?" she asked, glancing to the temporarily dead vampire.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed Marcel's number. It rang twice before Marcel answered. "Marcellus, I'm going to need a spot in your garden for Aurora."

"Alright, there's an empty spot next to where we're going to put Tristen. I'm heading to there tonight with Elijah. I'm sure the siblings would much rather be side by side for eternity."

Before hanging up, Klaus adds, "Also, Freya could use some assistance from Davina Clare."

Hearing sighing on the other side, "D isn't really talking to me right now but I'll see if I can ask Cami or Josh to talk to her. What does she need to do?"

"Try to piece together a vision received from a seer."

"I'll see what I can do." And then there was click.

Staring down at the body of Aurora, Klaus says, "I guess sleep will have to wait. I need to get her to the garden."

"And what is this garden?" she asked as he picked up the body carelessly, tossing it over his shoulder.

"It's a place where Marcel imprisons vampires to desiccate for decades until their sentencing is over. Me, I personally prefer just to kill those who disobey me."

Confused, Caroline looks over at the man, carrying his former lover. "Then why not just kill her?"

"She's going to be the lure for Tristen and Lucien," he had an evil smirk on his face. Giving her a quick kiss, he says, "Go rest. I'll be back shortly." He noticed her stiffness, "What's wrong, Love?"

"I want to come with you." He asked if she was sure and she nodded.

They arrived at Marcel's garden to find the man himself, waiting for them. "I got one ready." He pointed down the aisle on the left. "Caroline," he greeted with a kind smile.

"Hi Marcel," she reciprocated. "What are the crimes all of these vampires?"

Shrugging, he says, "Different things. He pointed to a vampire on the right. "Jerrick here, killed a mother and her four-year-old daughter. I do not tolerate harming kids." They walked a little further. "Carla murdered another nightwalker. I have a rule about killing one of our own."

Caroline looked at him seriously. "You have a lot of rules."

"Somehow order has to be maintained. Without it, you end up in chaos. Sometimes rules are the only things keeping the city going."

"But why are you the one who makes those rules? Isn't that a huge burden on you?" She wasn't being accusatory, just sympathetic.

They stood in silence as Klaus began placing bricks around Aurora's dead body. After a moment, Marcel nodded, "It can be sometimes. But that's what it takes to be a leader. Besides, the rules are only harsh to those who disobey them. My guys are fairly loyal to me."

"Loyalty is a precious commodity," said Klaus quietly, still stacking bricks that were now knee high on the girl.

Caroline thought for a second on the sentence before adding to it. "'Loyalty is hard to find. Trust is easy to lose. Actions speak louder than words'." Marcel looked impressed. "It was something I found for a class project once," she shrugged.

Klaus looked like he was going to respond but just as he looked at her with a loving face, Aurora took a sharp breath intake and opened her eyes. "Niklaus, she broke my neck!" she shouted frantically. Looking around her, she panicked, "Where am I?"

Pausing from putting the cement down, he used the trowel to cut her hand. Licking up the blood, he smirked. "No vervain...perfect." His smile was wicked. "You are going to stand still until Caroline says otherwise," he compelled.

"Me?" Caroline's eyes went big, but she never heard an answer. Aurora started crying loudly and wouldn't stop. Rolling her eyes, she snaps, "Oh my god, will you shut up?"

"Niklaus, why are you doing this to me?" Aurora sobbed.

"Because you tried killing Caroline," he snarled.

She sniveled, "She's going to die now anyways." Marcel, who had begun pacing, stopped dead in his tracks, while Caroline didn't move an inch and Klaus paused with a brick still in his hand. Noticing everyone's reaction, Aurora grinned through her tears. "I made a deal with a witch that if I didn't return to place a spell on the whore."

"What kind of spell?" Klaus growled.

"One to speed up her pregnancy."

Caroline's hands went to her stomach as if that would protect her children. "What do you mean? How do you know about that?" asked Marcel. She was quiet, just smiling. Marcel whooshed in front of her, stabbing her shoulder with a tool that was in the corner. "Talk!" he roared. Klaus had a moment of extreme pride for his protégé and the protectiveness he was showing Caroline already.

Crying out in pain, she says, "The spell is to make birth particularly difficult. And will need to be done at just the right time; otherwise, you'll lose the babies...or you'll lose her…or both."

Klaus, in a fit of rage, kills Aurora by ripping out her heart, letting it fall to the ground with a sound that can only compared to squishing of grapes. "Caroline?" The two males look over to find an emptiness. Leaving Marcel to clean up the mess, Klaus speeds out of the garden, following her scent blindly through the city. Coming to a stop, he finds himself standing in front of a hospital. Stuffing his bloody hand inside his jeans pocket, he walks inside, searching for her.

Just by hearing her voice, he knows she's compelling someone. "You're going to do an ultrasound right now. You don't need any insurance or personal information." Opening a room door and quickly closing it behind him, he finds her standing in front of a female nurse. She noticed him, talking fast she explains, "I'm sorry Nik, I just heard 'lose the babies' and I just took off. It's like I was in a tunnel. I had to find out if they were okay."

Walking over to her, he comforted her, "Shhh, it's okay, Love. I understand. Let's just see what we can find out."

The nurse, Iris, instructed her to lay on the table and to lift her shirt up slightly. As the woman put an ice-cold gel over her abdomen, she hissed. Seeing the look on his face, she reassured him by putting a hand on his tricep. "It was just cold." They were silent as the nurse tried finding the babies on the screen.

"This is impossible," whispered the nurse with wide eyes.

"What?" asked Caroline, worry etched on her face.

"They are growing right before my eyes. You can literally see them getting bigger."

Caroline could see what the woman was talking about, but not on the screen. What she was looking at was her stomach rising. "Klaus, I think you should call Freya." He nods and makes the call. While he's distracted, Caroline asks the nurse, "How do we get them out safely?"

"Well, take them out too early and that could decrease their chances of surviving outside the womb. Take them out too late and -" she points to the screen, "- this is their umbilical cord. At the rate they are growing, it won't have time to move to the side and they both will be strangled with it."

Klaus hangs up and losing his patience, asks, "When would it be an appropriate time then?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she says, "I have no idea, if I were to guess...maybe two to three hours. But we'll keep an eye on them."

Within the hour, that timeframe had become even smaller. "If they grow anymore, it will become dangerous."

"But it's only been an hour," Klaus said. "You said two to three." The nurse reminded him that this wasn't normal protocol and he huffed, pacing back and forth. Iris had been compelled to know about vampires to help Caroline more but even then, this was unusual circumstances.

Freya had been there fifteen minutes prior and was caught up. Holding Caroline's hand, she said, "I think it's their powers. They are taking magic from the stone and growing even faster with the addition of the spell placed on you."

"There is another problem," added Iris. "We can't induce you. Not with your vampirism healing you. By the time the induction medication would take effect, your body would have fought it off already."

"Then cut them out," came Caroline's steady voice.

Freya looked at her like she was crazy. "Caroline, you would feel everything! We can't break your neck because that would kill them. We can't give you anesthetic, because your body would burn it off."

"Cut them out. Now." She took a deep breath. "I have been tortured before, this will just be willingly. I'll heal." Looking at Klaus, she said, "Get them out safely. Please." The last word was a whispered plead that only he could hear.

He put a hand to the top of her head in comfort. "I could compel you if you'd like."

Having a sad expression on her face, she frowned. "I still have vervain in my system. I'll be okay. Just stay here with me?"

"Oh, he's going to need to stay," piped up Freya. "I'm going to need your necklace back. We're going to use Klaus' magic as a lure to get them out." Touching Caroline's arm in comfort, she adds, "We're going to save you and we're going to save these babies."

"Sorry you wasted your time making something for only one day," Caroline apologized.

Freya waved her hand. "Don't you worry about that. It was for the babies."

Compelling the nurse to start, Caroline gives Freya the necklace, feeling her magic draining already as her hands turned grey. Trying to calm down, Caroline feels the edge of the sharp scalpel touch her bare skin. Making the first cut into the pelvis, Caroline's fangs pierced her lips, crating two holes while trying to avoid screaming. By the time the nurse made quick work of carving into her uterus, she couldn't hold her cries in anymore. The pain was overwhelming and more than anything she could have ever expected, forcing Klaus had to hold her down to keep her from moving too much. While Iris was working, Caroline's skin was working its way back closed already causing the nurse to make more cuts to remove the baby.

"Freya, start the spell," ordered Klaus. In the corner, Freya started muttering in another language. Soon Caroline's vampire abilities stopped working against the nurse as the babies stopped forcing the magic and wanting to be pulled out to be closer to Klaus. Soon, baby number one was crying in the background.

Caroline was getting tired and was starting to become numb to the excruciating pain. Feeling her eyelids fall, she could hear Freya shouting, "Caroline, stay with us, you cannot sleep until the second baby is out!"

Forcing herself to stay awake, she focused on Klaus. The magic he was giving was draining him quickly, as his body was starting to grey as well...the tell signs of desiccation. As soon as Iris announced the second baby was out, Caroline put a hand to his cheek and whispered, "I love you," before falling into a deep sleep. His breath hitched as his hand wrapped around her knee, feeling as if touching her was enough for him.


	9. Chapter 9

**You get to find out the babies' names! I always wanted to know their middle names...so I made them up. Yes, I know they are cheesy but I like a little cheese every now and again because sometimes you just need to smile LOL**

 **Halfway through this chapter, there will be a small time jump in this chapter (only a few weeks worth) - I decided to not go into extensive length for this missing time. If I get a lot of requests for it, I may consider writing about their time during that period but for right now, I didn't find it pertinent to the main overall story line at the current moment.**

 **Thanks for reading! Until next chapter lovelies!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 _ ****TVD/TO**Klaus**Caroline**TVD/TO****_

Klaus watched as Caroline's body was trying to heal itself and ordered the nurse to have an IV with blood hooked up to her immediately. As she scurried off to collect the necessary items, he asked, "Are they okay?"

Freya nodded with a tired smile on her face, who was looking just as weak as he felt. "They are more than okay, they're perfect." Looking at the sleeping vampire, she added, "She did great. They're alive, she's alive."

He nodded. "As much as I don't want to leave her right now, I need to feed. And I'd like to be here when she wakes up. Can you handle them alone while I find someone to drain?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine. Just be quick, once she gets blood, she should wake up fairly quickly." He nodded and left but not without squeezing Caroline's hand.

Returning just minutes later, Freya was bent over the twins' clear, hospital basinets as Iris was marking down the machine numbers on a paper before leaving them once again. "Any changes?" he asked, taking Caroline's hand once again.

"Her greying skin is returning to normal and her breathing is stable. It's just a matter of time before she wakes up." Freya picked up twin number one and handed her to Klaus. "I told everyone about what happened. They can't wait to meet them." She shifted from one foot to the other and he asked her what was wrong. Hesitantly, she tells him, "Davina helped me figure out the vision right before you called. It was of you, laying on the ground and Caroline's hand in your chest. You weren't moving. She's going to be your destruction, just as they predicted."

Klaus took all the information in and shook his head. "Don't tell her about what you saw. We'll deal with this later." He didn't believe she would ever kill herself by ending his sire line; but what he really didn't want to think about, was her turning on him. Despite how close they had gotten, his insecurities were still tunneling through him.

Holding the newborn, Klaus had realized that even though the twins were not of his blood like Hope was, he silently vowed to himself to make sure to care for them as his own if Caroline stayed - he wouldn't become Mikael. "Our father hated me because I wasn't his. Looking at Caroline's twins, I don't know how he could treat his child like that. She had loved them instantly and unconditionally." Freya put a comforting hand on his shoulder, unable to say anything.

Caroline took almost an hour to flutter her eyes open. Looking around she found Klaus sitting in the chair, one little baby in his each of arms. Freya and the nurse were both absent, so she stared at the scene in front of her. He was looking down at them with admiration and every one of tiny fingers were fisted in his shirt.

Smiling, she stayed still for a minute, trying to commit as much of this moment to memory before saying, "Klaus?"

His head whips up and he sighs loudly in relief. She struggles to sit up, so Klaus stands, saying, "Just relax. You're still healing." He puts the babies back in their basinets carefully and walks over to Caroline. Sitting on the edge of her bed, he puts his arm over her legs and leans on it. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good...considering. A little weak." Her glance lands on the babies and worry forms on her face. "Are they okay?"

"They are. My apologies that I didn't ask before coming over here; I can bring them over if you want." She nods, and he gets back up. Grabbing the baby on the left, he places that one in her arms. "This is baby number one." And then getting the baby on the right, he says, "And this is baby number two, she was more stubborn than her sister."

Holding them both in her arms, she smiles widely. "Hello little ones. You are going to be so loved. I promise."

Returning to her side protectively, Klaus says, "My siblings have been blowing up my phone asking about them. They are pretty attached already." He smiled, "Hayley can't wait for Hope to meet them and I have to admit, I am looking forward to it as well."

"Rebekah is probably ecstatic about having newborns around again," smiled Caroline. She felt as if the very small amount of time she has been around the Mikaelson's, she has really gotten to know the siblings.

He nodded. "Have you thought of names?"

She had thought about it actually. "Baby girl number one should be a tribute to their parents." She looked sad. "Their real parents." Placing a small kiss on top the head of the baby on the left, she says, "This is Josie Ricki Saltzman. Ricki spelled like Ricki Lake." Kissing the baby on the right, she adds, "And I was a little selfish, but I want to name this one Lizzie Nicole Saltzman."

"That's not selfish, I'm sure Alaric and Jo would be happy with your decisions," he reassured. "And your mother would be honored."

"Nicole was the closest thing I could get to Niklaus," she explained.

Klaus was floored and stammering, he said, "You...you don't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. Without you, I wouldn't have made it. The second I arrived in New Orleans you have been nothing but accommodating. You and your siblings let me stay with you and offered to weaken yourselves to keep them alive. Freya helped a lot too, especially with the delivery. I couldn't have done this without you and believe me when I say, I'm so very thankful for it. I always want them to know who did everything in their power to bring them into the world safely." Yawning, she said, "I guess I'm still tired."

"Let me take them back. You rest some more," Klaus said, still reeling from her announcement. She nodded and allowed him to pick the babies up. He had just placed Lizzie back into the clear bed when he heard the soft tones of Caroline sleeping already, with Josie in her protective arms.

The next day, Caroline is back to her normal self. _Thank you, vampirism_ , she thought to herself. With Lizzie her arms and Klaus holding Josie, they walked into the Mikaelson Compound together to be greeted by everyone to meet the new babies - including Camille who was looked slightly uncomfortable until Caroline started asking about her psychology classes at Tulane and the blonde human started relaxed. Hayley walked up with Hope and to much relief to the parents, Hope appeared to be excited over the new addition.

Their happiness only lasted for a few weeks when Lucien came looking for retribution for Aurora's death and ruined the family's blissful time. He had gotten a hold of the last remaining white oak stake bullet and after a long night of saying his goodbyes to Hope, Klaus and Caroline watch as Hayley packed the large SUV where the three girls been previously strapped in their car seats.

"Find us as soon as you're done with him, Klaus," she circled her arms around his body tightly.

"We will win this fight and then you all will come home." Stepping away from her, he brought her chin up to kiss her longingly. "I promise."

Halfway out of NOLA, Caroline feels a sharp pain in her chest and she hunches over clutching her skin. Hayley pulls over quickly, asking, "Caroline, you alright?"

Looking back at her babies sleeping in the backseat with Hope, Caroline shakes her head. "Hayley, please promise me that they will be okay?"

"Of course!" Hayley was sincere. They had become close over the duration of Caroline's time in New Orleans and they trusted each other with the safety of their daughters.

"Then get out of here, as fast as you can. I can't explain it, but I have to go back," Caroline instructed. Not giving the other mother a chance to talk her out of it, Caroline leaves the car and takes off back in the direction of the Compound.

Arriving in the nick of time, Caroline sees Lucien charging at Elijah with Papa Tunde's knife when at the last minute, Klaus steps in front of his brother. Lucien lets Klaus' body fall to the floor as he attacks Elijah once again, taking advantage of the eldest brother's disbelief.

Waiting until the fighting had been taken outside through the back entrance, Caroline rushes over to Klaus' lifeless body with a realization rushing through her - she was terrified of losing him. "I'm sorry," she whispers before jamming her hand into his ribcage, wrapping her hands around the blade's handle and pulling it out, his blood dripping from the ends.

Flying up from his spot on the floor, he grabs her by the throat, his hybrid eyes shining gold at her and pushes her hard into the wall as her head creates a hole in the concrete.

Recognition takes a moment but soon his grasp loosens, and he drops his hand. "Caroline? What are you doing here?" His mind was swimming with the fact that not only was she here, but the vision Freya had received from the seer, wasn't of her destroying him - it was of her saving him.

"I couldn't leave. I had a sharp pain in my heart when I tried. I'm here to fight with you," she said proudly, touching his arm.

Before he could tell her to turn around and get out of the town, Lucien was back. Elijah's limp body was dangling from his grasp. It was obvious by the stain and hole in his dress shirt that Elijah's heart had been ripped from his body. Caroline knew it was just temporary for it was harder to kill an Original vampire than that, but the sight was discouraging. "Hello again lovely," Lucien greeted her, letting go of Elijah.

Caroline glanced around for possible weapons and her eyes landed on an old, metal fire iron laying up against the wall. Following her glance, Lucien lunges forward at the same time Caroline does. Grappling for the fire iron, Klaus runs forward with Papa Tune's blade before spinning towards Lucien, trying to attack him.

Lucien may be a lesser vampire but he was sly and all his moves were calculated. Somehow once again, he was able to dodge Klaus' attempts - just like in the bar - and he grabs the fire iron to stab Caroline in her chest, mere inches from her heart. She fell backwards, blood spewing from her mouth as Klaus growls loudly in rage, his protectiveness over Caroline overpowering the fact that Klaus was weakened from the blade. Caroline watched in awe as Klaus began transforming quicker than she's ever seen Tyler change before. For the first time, Lucien was frozen still as he listened to the sound of all Klaus' bones in his body breaking before forming a large burnt amber colored wolf. Using his increased speed and strength, he rips into Lucien's neck and before Caroline could even blink, Lucien's detached head was rolling on the ground next to his body.

The sharp end of the fire iron was curved and Caroline was having difficulty pulling it out. Knowing that if she twisted it the wrong way, it would pierce her heart when she attempted to pull it out. There must have been a part of her that was weak enough to pass out because the next thing she knew, she was screaming as a very naked Klaus pulled the iron out carefully.

Going in and out of consciousness, she feels him try shaking her awake. Smelling the blood that he put in front of her face flowing from his wrist, she attaches her fangs to it. Feeling the pain subside from her chest, she opens her blackened eyes and looked deep into his hybrid ones.

Elijah was just waking up when she detached herself from Klaus' arm. Caroline stayed on the ground but nodded to Klaus as if to tell him to go to his brother. After putting his pants back on quickly, Klaus went to Elijah to help steady him. Leaning in close to Klaus, Caroline could barely hear what Elijah was whispering into his ear. "Blood sharing, Niklaus. That's how you're going to finish the bond with her. Lucien had figured it out."

As Klaus was picking up the blade off the floor, Elijah told them that he was going to find someone to feed off and left slowly – even for human speed. Not looking anywhere but at her, Klaus asked how she was feeling. "I'll be fine. He was really close to hitting my heart though."

"He could have killed you," he sounded fearful, pulling her up on her feet to stand.

"All the more reason to finish the bonding." Klaus looked at for a long time before she continued, "You heard Elijah. Blood sharing is how we complete this." Taking his hand in hers, she added, "You were more than patient with me. Not only waiting for me to come back but then you waited until the twins were born." She added, "When I asked you to leave Mystic Falls, it was because there were things I wanted. A life that I said didn't involve you. However, being here with you, I realized all those things...they would be better experiencing them now because they do involve you." Moving her head to the side, she tilted her chin up for him. She was his mate and she was submitting to him.

Grabbing her around the waist and pulling her possessively into his arms, he asked if she was sure. She only need to nod once before she felt him lean down. Kissing her cheek and ear, he made his way slowly down and passionately down her chin. Landing on top of her carotid artery, he paused. Encouraging him, she put her hands on his hips above the hem of his jeans, touching his bare skin. Electricity surged through their bodies, much like the first day they touched after being reunited in NOLA. Back then, they had thought it was because of Lizzie and Josie, but it was obvious to them now that it was because they were mates and she had recently drunk his blood. It was as if their bodies were telling them the bonding was half complete already, they had just ignored it until now.

Sinking his teeth into her neck as softly as he could, she hissed as the venom hit her veins. His arms were fixed, holding her body firmly against his. A few seconds passed and Caroline couldn't take it any longer, she twisted her head slightly, allowing her access to his shoulder. Placing her lips to that spot, he anticipated her fangs before they pierced his skin.

As soon as his blood was tasted on her tongue, a euphoric feeling spread across their bodies causing them to grip onto each other tighter. After what felt like hours of drinking each other's blood, Klaus was the first to let go. Allowing her a few extra minutes, he let her stay attached until she, too, pulled back. His hands were on her elbows as he held her at arm's length.


	10. Chapter 10

**Last chapter sweethearts! I had a good time writing this for everyone but an even better time seeing so many people enjoy it! Hopefully the writers of season 5 give us an ending that is satisfying for our fandom. #KlarolineIsEndgame**

 **Until next time – However Long It Takes loves**

 **~Always & Forever~**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. All ideas, characters, etc belong to the writers of TVD/TO.**

 _ ***Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline*Klaroline***_

"How do we know if it worked?" she asked quietly.

"We could find a vampire to bite?" he offered. Obviously, he wasn't going to try to kill her to see if she would survive.

Looking down at her outfit, a giant hole in the middle and blood all over it, she said, "Let's change first. I want to get out of these clothes."

Leaning into her body, he added, "I want you out of those clothes as well."

Pushing him away with her hand, she scolded him, "Simmer down there, Niklaus. First, we need to change and then we have to call to check with Hayley and the girls."

Emotions hit him, and he was able to physically sense how hard it was for her to say that. Smirking, he said, "You want it just as bad as I do."

Thoughts of their time in the woods and on the roof flooded her mind as he was remembering those days, every vivid detail. "I think it worked. I can see what you're remembering." He then pushed another memory into her mind. _The first time he saw her, laying on her bed, dying from a hybrid bite. "'Are you here to kill me?'' Caroline asked in the memory._

 _In the memory, she could feel how reluctant he was to kill her and how confused that made him. So instead he asked, "'On your birthday? You really think that low of me?'"_

 _Seeing the hatred in her own eyes, she responded, "'Yes.'"_

"You were never afraid of me. I was attracted to that at first," Klaus says.

She laughed, "I was terrified of you, Klaus." He questioned her. "You were the big, bad hybrid that was controlling everyone in town. My best friends feared you. Even your own brother was trying to put you down."

"I never thought you were ever nervous in my presence."

She giggled, "I thought that I was going to die, Nik. I figured I might as well go down swinging."

It was as if he couldn't get enough of touching her skin, he pulled her back into his embrace saying, "It worked in my favor."

Wiggling out of his arms once again, she said, "It's always about you, isn't it? How do you know that this wasn't my plan all along?" she joked before jogging to her room to change as he watched her close her door with a wink.

She changed quickly and as Caroline was waiting for him, she pulled out her phone and called Hayley. "Hello?"

"Hayley, it's me. We stopped Lucien."

The mother on the other side of the phone sighed in relief. "That's great news."

"How are the girls?" By this time, Klaus had begun to descend the staircase to stand next to her.

"Sleeping like a rock. All three of them." Hayley paused. "Is it safe to return?"

Looking to Klaus for confirmation, he read her expression and took the phone. "It is. However, by now you should almost be there. If you would like to stop for the night at the safe house, that's up to you."

"I think we'll stop when we get there. That will give you two time to sniff around town for any more dangers just in case we should stay put."

They said their goodbyes and Caroline promised to give her an update regarding if they find any new threats or not in town. Caroline put her phone in her back pocket of her jeans and then took a moment to assess him. He was wearing a nice pair of dark grey slacks, a black Henley and a black leather jacket. "You look nice," she whispered.

"One would say 'perfect'," he snickered, sending memories of when she told him that during the Miss Mystic Falls pageant.

"You did look perfect that day. You should wear suits more often."

He waved his hand, "Nah, then it won't be special when I do pull out those uncomfortable garments." He paused, "Besides, I wouldn't want you to stop looking at me."

 _"Which is so beyond annoying, I can't even look at you," she had once said._ Smiling, she says, "I don't think your ego could take me looking at you twenty-four-seven."

"Ouch," he teased. "Shall we find a vampire for you to sink your new fangs into?" She nodded and took his arm.

The sun was down, and it was easier than she thought it would be to find a nightwalker. She sped in and out of people on the streets faster than she ever experienced, except for the first time in NOLA and Klaus had picked her up. Grabbing a vampire, she whooshed him to an abandoned alleyway and then tried compelling him. "You will not yell or leave." And yet he struggled against her hold.

Behind her, Klaus' voice found her ears. "No use, Love. All Marcel's vampires were put on vervain the second that I walked back into town. Just bite him, I'll deal with the explanation with Marcellus later."

Sighing, Caroline leaned down to sink her fangs into his neck but paused.

Klaus sensing her hesitation, told her, "If you have my abilities you should be able to heal him. And if not, then I promise he will not die at your hand."

"You'll heal him?" she asked quietly.

"For you, I will." He said this with so much certainty that she took no time to bite the other vampire.

Letting go quickly, the man raised his hand to the bite which was beginning to fester already. "It worked," breathed Caroline, exhaling the air she was holding in. Biting into her wrist, she offered it to him. "Drink, we're hoping it will heal you." The vampire looked confused but did as he was told, his wound healing with each gulp. "We're fully bonded. I share your abilities," said Caroline excitedly, looking at Klaus. He had a funny look on his face when she let the now healed vampire go. "What's wrong Klaus?"

"I feel as if I should be guarded right now. I usually am but in this very moment, I'm calm. I'm not worried about you betraying me. I'm not worried about you using me just to gain power. I'm not worried about anything at all regarding you." Running a hand over her arm, he added, "Just different than how I usually am."

"Is that a good thing?" Her eyebrows were creased.

"Very," he pulled her completely into his arms and kissed the crease away.

"Hmmm," she sighed into his touch. "The new abilities are nice but...you saying that just made me feel like the most powerful person in the world."

"That's because you are. I've always belonged to you. And when you hold the heart of the strongest creature on the planet, you in turn become more formidable."

They spent the night questioning vampires and drinking at Rousseau's. They had met up with Marcel whom divulged that the Strix were leaving town since Elijah ordered them to get out of New Orleans after killing their leader for threatening Hayley. Caroline and Marcel even ended up singing karaoke a few times.

Completely drunk, they both returned to the Compound early in the morning, hanging on to each other to avoid falling or running into the wall. "I don't want to let you go," sloshed Klaus, his nose in her hair breathing in her scent.

"Then maybe I can sleep in your room tonight," Caroline offered. The alcohol had lowered all her inhibitions but if she was really being honest with herself, she had none the second she decided to drive to Louisiana. There was no answer between them, just silence as they walked up clumsily to Klaus' room.

The next morning, Caroline woke up with a massive headache pounding as if a high school marching band was playing the national anthem in her skull. She was unable to remember the last time she had drank enough that her vampire abilities weren't able to catch up with her. Rolling over too quickly, her head practically screaming at her before she realized she had collided with a half-naked hybrid.

He was still out of it and didn't wake up to the fact that she had smacked him square in the chest. Carefully peeling herself off of him, she heads to the bathroom. Washing her face, she looks up to look at her reflection in the mirror. Making her features change, she stared at herself in awe as her usually black eyes showed yellow hues instead. Having her fangs pop out, she could feel the second set there too.

Leaving the bathroom, she forced her hybrid self down as her headache subsided finally. Looking over at the other hybrid, she smiled as he was still sleeping peacefully. Deciding on going down to her room, she changed her clothes and dialed Hayley's number.

"Hey," Hayley greeted.

Caroline sat cross legged on the bed, her back to the door. "Hi, I just wanted to let you know that we talked to a lot of vampires last night. No one knows of any dangers in the Quarter that haven't been dealt with already. Most of them mentioned the Strix but when Klaus brought it up to Marcel, he said they were hightailing it out of town after hearing about Tristen falling at Elijah's hand."

Hayley exhaled a breath. "Thank goodness. Feels like I've been running since Hope has been born. I'm just ready to stop. I don't want her to grow up like that."

A sense of relief washed over Caroline as she heard the other mother express how much she didn't want her child to grow up always on the move. "I'm right there with you. How are they?"

"I think they could sense something was up. They were mostly quiet until this morning." As if on cue, one of them started crying in the background. "Oh, sorry, I should go. Tell everyone I'll start on the way back tomorrow."

"Hey, Hayley?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I know they aren't your kids..." Caroline started, unsure of how to finish her gratitude.

"You're welcome. Besides, you're family now. Always and forever, Caroline." And at that, Hayley had hung up and the phone gave the blonde a disconnected tone.

"She's right." Caroline jumped at the sound of another voice behind her. She had completely missed the sounds of someone else in the room. A now fully dressed Klaus was leaning up against the doorframe, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He was smirking at her, knowing full well that she has yet to see the potential of what her new abilities can give her.

"What is she right about?"

He uncrossed his arms, pushed off from his spot and walked around the bed to join her. Putting an arm behind her body, he closed the distance, not touching her but was close enough to feel the energy coming off her skin. "You're a Mikaelson now. And with that comes our promise; it's the center of our family."

"Always and forever?" she asked, and he nodded. This gave her a sense of protection which due to their connection, he could feel, making him grin more. "I think I can live with that." She leaned into his arms and kissed him. When he promised he would be waiting for her, she wasn't ready - but she was now. She was prepared to spend forever with him, raising their children together and standing with him side-by-side...as equals.


End file.
